22-65 Seest thou not that Allah has made subservient to you all that is in the earth, and the ships gliding in the sea by His command? And He withholds the heaven from falling on the earth except with His permission. Surely Allah is Compassionate, Merciful to men.a
أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَخَّرَ لَكُم مَّا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱلْفُلْكَ تَجْرِى فِى ٱلْبَحْرِ بِأَمْرِهِۦ وَيُمْسِكُ ٱلسَّمَآءَ أَن تَقَعَ عَلَى ٱلْأَرْضِ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِۦٓ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِٱلنَّاسِ لَرَءُوفٌۭ رَّحِيمٌۭ (۶۵)
22-65a: تَقَعَ – وقوع means to fall down, drop from a stationary position. الواقِعَه is an event characterized by adversity and distress. The word وَقَع is used in the Quran generally for a situation of punishment and hardship, as in إِذَا وَقَعَتِ ٱلْوَاقِعَةُ لَيْسَ لِوَقْعَتِهَا كَاذِبَةٌ : When the event comes to pass. There is no belying its coming to pass (56: 1, 2); فَيَوْمَئِذٍۢ وَقَعَتِ ٱلْوَاقِعَةُ : On that day will the Event come to pass (69:15). The وُقُوع of a قولsaying is that the event associated with it will occur, as in وَوَقَعَ ٱلْقَوْلُ عَلَيْهِم بِمَا ظَلَمُوا۟ : And the word will come to pass against them because they were unjust (27:85), which means the punishment that was promised against them was authorized.
In إِذَا وَقَعَ ٱلْقَوْلُ عَلَيْهِمْ: And when the word comes to pass against them… (27:82) and also in فَقَدْ وَقَعَ أَجْرُهُۥ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ : …his reward is indeed with Allah… (4:100) the word is used in the sense of becomes imperative. Derivatives of the word وَقَع are used in many senses, such as وَقَع المَطَرُ سَقَطَ it rained (R).
يُمْسِكُ – For امساك refer to 2-229a.
سَمَآءَ – refer to 2-19a.
The meaning of سَمَآءَ includes the heaven, height, rain, clouds. For details refer to 2-19a. So, the meaning of سَمَآءَ falling on the earth can be taken literally as the heaven falling on the earth or it can be the rain falling on the earth. It is true that Allah withholds the heaven from falling on the earth: رَفَعَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ بِغَيْرِعَمَدٍۢ تَرَوْنَهَا : …who raised the heavens without any pillars that you can see… (13:2) and إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُمْسِكُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ أَن تَزُولَا: Surely Allah upholds the heavens and the earth lest they come to naught… (35:41). However, this does not appear to be the meaning here and إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِۦٓ except with His permission gives formidable context, and shows that when there is Allah’s permission, the heaven does fall. Obviously the sky has never literally fallen on the earth and the suggestion that it refers to Judgement Day is not tenable either because, as Ruh al Ma‘ani has admitted, the Quran mentions the heaven being torn asunder and breaking up, but there is no mention of heaven falling on the earth. So, by سَمَآءَ in 22:65 is meant rain and as Raghib has stated, the word سَمَآءَ is in particular used for rain in the clouds up to the point that ما لم نَفَع علی الارض it begins to fall on the ground. Allah’s preventing the rain from falling on the earth till His permission is given is in fact a great Divine blessing for two reasons. Unless Allah holds the rain back and makes it fall according to a measure, instead of being a blessing it would cause havoc. Moreover, holding back the rain allows it to reach different lands, instead of the water vapor simply rising from the ocean and raining back on the ocean. This is Allah’s great blessing and favor that He allows the rain to fall on distant lands far removed from the source from where the water originated. The context of the verse supports this meaning. The three points mentioned in 22:65 provide evidence of Divine Unity, since these are all Allah’s actions and not that of other deities.
22-66 And He it is Who brings you to life, then He causes you to die, then He will bring you to life. Surely man is ungrateful.
وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَحْيَاكُمْ ثُمَّ يُمِيتُكُمْ ثُمَّ يُحْيِيكُمْ ۗ إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ لَكَفُورٌۭ (۶۶)
22-67 To every nation We appointed acts of devotion, which they observe, so let them not dispute with thee in the matter, and call to thy Lord. Surely thou art on a right guidance.
لِّكُلِّ أُمَّةٍۢ جَعَلْنَا مَنسَكًا هُمْ نَاسِكُوهُ ۖ فَلَا يُنَـٰزِعُنَّكَ فِى ٱلْأَمْرِ ۚ وَٱدْعُ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ ۖ إِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ هُدًۭى مُّسْتَقِيمٍۢ (۶۷)
22-67a: Proof of the veracity of Divine Unity: The meaning of مَنسَكً is worship or the method of worship and it means that just as Allah has blessed all humanity with physical blessings, He has also revealed to all nations how to worship Him. Just as the earth is for everyone, so is the rain for everyone. Similarly, he has made known to all people their acts of devotion, and religion is a clear proof of Divine Unity since in different nations and in different countries and at different times people have arisen who taught how to worship One God. Hence يُنَـٰزِعُنَّكَ فِى ٱلْأَمْرِ let them not dispute with thee in the matter conveys that there is no reason why there should be a dispute in the matter of religion. The message is that we should not care about the disputes and just focus on calling people to Allah.
22-68 And if they contend with thee, say: Allah best knows what you do.
وَإِن جَـٰدَلُوكَ فَقُلِ ٱللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ (۶۸)
22-69 Allah will judge between you on the day of Resurrection respecting that in which you differ.
ٱللَّهُ يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَكُمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ فِيمَا كُنتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ (۶۹)
22-70 Knowest thou not that Allah knows what is in the heaven and the earth? Surely this is in a book. That is surely easy to Allah.
أَلَمْ تَعْلَمْ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۗ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ فِى كِتَـٰبٍ ۚ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ يَسِيرٌۭ (۷۰)
22-71 And they serve besides Allah that for which He has not sent any authority, and of which they have no knowledge. And for the unjust there is no helper.a
وَيَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَمْ يُنَزِّلْ بِهِۦ سُلْطَـٰنًۭا وَمَا لَيْسَ لَهُم بِهِۦ عِلْمٌۭ ۗ وَمَا لِلظَّـٰلِمِينَ مِن نَّصِيرٍۢ (۷۱)
22-71a: There is no evidence for polytheism: The entire world provides evidence of the Oneness of the Creator, but even so people abandon the One God and take other gods such as Jesus, Aharman (supreme spirit in Zoroastrian mythology), and various idols. Allah has issued no authority for any of them; it is not in the teachings of any prophet, there is no logical evidence to support other deities and lastly, the help of من دون اللّٰہ other than Allah on which the polytheists rely will not be forthcoming. In short, there is no practical proof to support polytheism.
22-72 And when Our clear messages are recited to them, thou wilt notice a denial on the faces of those who disbelieve — they almost attack those who recite to them Our messages. Say: Shall I inform you of what is worse than this? The Fire. Allah has promised it to those who disbelieve. And evil is the resort.a
وَإِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَـٰتُنَا بَيِّنَـٰتٍۢ تَعْرِفُ فِى وُجُوهِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ ٱلْمُنكَرَ ۖ يَكَادُونَ يَسْطُونَ بِٱلَّذِينَ يَتْلُونَ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَـٰتِنَا ۗ قُلْ أَفَأُنَبِّئُكُم بِشَرٍّۢ مِّن ذَٰلِكُمُ ۗ ٱلنَّارُ وَعَدَهَا ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ ۖ وَبِئْسَ ٱلْمَصِيرُ (۷۲)
22-72a: يَسْطُونَ – سَطۡوَۃ means to raise the hand and grasp firmly and سَطَابهٖ means grasped firmly or attacked. Literally سَطَا الفَرسُ is used for a male horse that raises its fore legs and stands (R).
شَرٍّۢ مِّن ذَٰلِكُمُ worse than this – شَرٍّۢ مِّن ذَٰلِكُمُ refers to the rage and wrath of the disbelievers as a result of which they are ready to assault the caller to the truth. It is conveyed to them that what is worse than their rage and wrath is the fire, which arises as a result of this uncontrolled rage. This anger and frustration shows that that they have no arguments to support their claims.
